


There’s More in You

by Cate_9xBlue



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Angst, Attempted Murder, But I’m also going to use it for angst purposes, Cassandra Redemption (Disney: Tangled), Cassandra’s Revenge AU, Everybody’s sad, F/M, Found Family, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Guilt, Heavy Angst, In this fic we acknowledge past misdeeds but we also acknowledge that they are in fact in the past, I’m so sorry, Mentions of Blood, Mostly in the past though, Now she’s just sad, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Sad Cassandra, Self-Hatred, Tangled is such a found family centric show and I love it, Villain! Cassandra, idk what, jk it started out dark, moving forward, only way to go from here is up amiright, pseudo siblings, really brief tho, sad Eugene, this is getting kinda dark, uh oh stuff is happening
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 18:36:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28586595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cate_9xBlue/pseuds/Cate_9xBlue
Summary: Cassandra wasn’t worth saving. She wasn’t worth all the extra effort everyone was putting into helping her. She shouldn’t even be alive- not when the two people who never gave up on her weren’t.
Relationships: Cassandra & Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider (Disney), Cassandra & Lance Strongbow, Cassandra & Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled), Cassandra & Varian (Disney: Tangled), Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Varian, Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel, Rapunzel & Varian (Disney)
Comments: 19
Kudos: 45





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I love all of these characters I swear.

* * *

_  
  
“VARIAN!”_

_The shrill sound of Eugene’s panicked voice was followed by a terrified scream. The scream was enough to break Rapunzel out of the incantation’s hold, the bright golden glow fading from her eyes and returning to their soft green. She was just in time to see the teenager, one of her closest friends, lose hold of the edge of the tower, soaring backwards through the air. Their eyes locked, a childlike terror tainting his inquisitive blue, and then he was gone, over the edge, plummeting from their great height._

_“VARIAN!” The princess cried, falling from where she’d been floating. Her eyes lingered where her friend had been just a moment too long, for the other girl hadn’t been distracted. Cassandra hadn’t even noticed the disappearance of the alchemist. Her eyes still glowed with a blue fury, possessed by the magic coursing through her veins, and Rapunzel’s horrified silence was enough for her to gain the upper hand. Black rocks surged forward, and the princess didn’t react, didn’t even_ budge, _and then a sharp slicing sound was followed by tense silence. Rapunzel lurched forward, head drooping, but she didn’t fall to the floor. Her body was suspended in a standing position by the rocks skewered through it._

_In a bright flash, the moonstone disappeared from Cassandra’s chest and she collapsed, blue hair fading back to black. For a moment she was confused, unaware of where she was, and her hand flew to the hole in her chest. It ached. But then she heard a noise of agony, and her head snapped up. Rapunzel. Rapunzel was right there, mere feet away from her, one arm still outstretched in the direction of the ledge. The arm was held there by a thin rock pierced right through it. There were at least six throughout her body, with blood pooling at her bare feet._

_Cassandra screamed._

Heart pounding, Cass sat up on her cot, one hand clenched over the hole in her chest. Her breaths rattled in her lungs, barely strong enough to keep the oxygen flowing through her veins. _Good._ She wished it wasn’t. She wished her heart would just give out, like it almost had several times already. She’d been checked by the physician upon their return, and it had been discovered that her dependence on the moonstone had crippled her. She would have been dead if she’d had it much longer. 

She _wished she was._

The memories were seared into her mind’s eye, eager to appear every time she closed her eyes. Rapunzel’s dying figure, held up by the very rocks that _she’d_ been in control of. The way the light left her eyes just after Cass got to her, only looking at her for a moment before they went blank. And the horrible despair she’d felt when they’d descended the tower and found Varian’s body out on one of the extended rocks, mangled and broken. The way his twinkling, baby blue eyes just stared at the sky, blood pooling under his head and around his extremities that faced all the wrong directions. 

She pulled at her hair, staring at the thin blanket spread over her lap. She’d already tried staring at the stone walls, but they left too much up to the imagination. They were too similar to the black nothingness behind her eyelids, allowing her mind to paint her a picture. The faint details in the brown fabric gave her something to focus on, something to pick apart. 

_Brown._ Rapunzel’s hair used to be brown. 

“Cass?”

“Go away,” she rasped, legs tucking into her chest. She knew that voice. It was the voice that came every morning, noon, and night. It was the one that assured her everything would be alright, when it _wouldn’t._ It was the person that should hate her the most, but instead still treated her like an old friend. 

“Cass,” Eugene tried again, gloved hands gripping the bars. He was dressed in his brand new Captain’s uniform, a beautifully ornate golden sun emblazoned on the red shirt. At one point in her life, she’d longed to wear that very same uniform. Now she wasn’t even worthy of looking at it. “They’ve come to a decision.”

“If it’s not to kill me, I don’t want to hear it.” Her eyes betrayed her and she looked up, only to see the tired devastation on his face. He was trying _so hard._ But she couldn’t bring herself to appreciate it. _He should hate her._

“Community service,” he said quietly, just loud enough for her to hear. “You’re not to leave the grounds of the castle without a guard or two to escort you. You’re not allowed to leave the kingdom for the foreseeable future, and you’ve been stripped of your duty as a handmaiden. I’ve spoken to the king- your community service will be helping the guard-“

“Stop it,” she interrupted, one hand squeezing the stiff surface of her cot. “Just… just _stop it._ Stop helping me.”

“Cass.” She could hear the exasperation, the _desperation_ in his voice. It only frustrated her more. 

“They’re _dead,_ Eugene,” she snapped, uncurling so she could glare at him. He flinched. “Varian and Rapunzel are dead. Your little brother, the love of your _life._ I killed them. They are dead because of ME.” Eugene’s sad brown eyes bore into her, the heavy bruises underneath just making her feel even worse. 

“They’re dead because of Zhan Tiri,” he corrected, voice breaking when the _d_ word left his mouth. “It manipulated you, and used you. You would never-“

“I DID!” She flew to her feet, swaying enough that she had to rest a hand against the wall, and Eugene looked like it was taking all his self restraint not to unlock the cell and help her. “I’M the one who kidnapped Varian! I’m the one who drugged him, and beat him, and told him he was a fool! I’m the one who stuck him in a cage that wasn’t enough to withstand the collision of the magic, and I’m the one who ran Rapunzel through with those rocks! Those were all MY decisions, Eugene! Stop pretending they’re not!”

“I saw the look on your face when the Moonstone released you,” he argued, brow furrowing with frustration. “I saw the anger clear from your eyes the second it was gone. And I saw your reaction when you- when you saw her. When you saw him. Those… you can’t fake that.”

“BE MAD AT ME!” She screamed, throwing herself at the bars. “Yell at me! Scream at me! Tell me I’m a monster, and just get rid of me! Please!” She sobbed, gripping the bars to keep herself upright. “ _Please,_ Eugene. Please, just let them kill me. I can’t- I can’t live in a world…”

“A world without them,” he finished for her, one hand resting over hers. She visibly flinched, bloodshot eyes flicking up to meet his. They were filling with tears. Everything she was saying, it wasn’t making him mad. It was just breaking his heart more. “Cass, _I know._ I know how much it hurts. Every morning, I wake up, and I- and I go to her room. I go like nothing’s happened, and I knock on the door, and then I remember. I remember that she’s not going to answer, that she’s not going to open the door and just- just _be there._ All she had to do was be there to brighten up a room. I find myself walking down into that chamber, and all I see is the ruined mess left behind that the kid’s never gonna clean up.” His breath hitched, and he ducked his head, wiping at his eyes with his free hand. “And you know what I found yesterday? I found Ruddiger. He was just sitting there by all those broken beakers and books, waiting. And I just- I didn’t have the _heart_ to- to tell him that-“ He choked, pulling back from the bars to press a hand to his mouth, eyes wide and blurry. 

“Eugene-“

“But you know what I don’t do?” He continued, regaining his composure. “I don’t have to go sit in your room and look at the dust that’s covering it. I don’t have to go visit Fidella, or head down to the training field and think about how we’ll never be able to sword fight, or just _wrestle_ . I don’t have to think about living the rest of my life without you, because you’re still here. You’re still here, Cass, and that’s important. You’ve always been like a sister to me. An annoying sister that I want to punch, yeah, but you’re someone I care about. Say what you will, but I’m so, _so_ glad I didn’t lose _three_ of my best friends that day.” 

Cass shivered, squeezing the bars tighter as she pressed her forehead against them. She could still feel the way the warmth had left Rapunzel’s face in her hold, tears mixing with the blood that dribbled down her chin from blue lips. She could never forget that. She could never forget that _she did that._

“Raps,” she whispered, eyes squeezing shut as she forced herself to relive the moment again, to watch the light leave her best friend’s eyes. She didn’t even notice any movement until arms wrapped around her, free of any bars between them. Her eyes snapped open, recoiling in shock, but Eugene just held her tighter, not letting her go. The keys were still dangling from his hand, the door swung wide open. 

“C’mon,” he said gently, backing the both of them away from the cot and toward the door. “Let’s get you out of this place.”

“I don’t deserve it,” she gasped, blinking the tears from her eyes. “Please, Eugene. I don’t deserve help. I- I-“

“You made a mistake,” he insisted, leading her out of the cell and closing it with his foot. “You made a lot of mistakes. And you know who else has? Literally everyone. I was a criminal for _twenty years.”_ He kept her in the hug even as he edged them out of the dungeons, ignoring the glares of the inmates and the dank stench in the air. “And… and Varian? He made a lot of mistakes too. So did _Rapunzel_. But you know what? We all moved past them. That’s the key. You can’t dwell on the bad forever.”

“I betrayed my best friend,” she whimpered, weakly tugging to free herself. “The last moment we shared, we were fighting. She- she died with my face as the last thing she saw. After I did all of those horrible things. She’s _gone_ , and I wasted the time we had together! She’d hate me!”

“You and I both know Rapunzel has a knack for forgiveness,” he said softly, shifting so that they were side by side, him supporting her on her unsteady feet with an arm under her armpits. “She never gave up on you.”

“She should have,” Cass croaked, another sob clogging her throat. 

“But she didn’t. Because she’s seen you, she knows how you tick. She knows your strengths, your weaknesses. She knows your heart. You’re more than your darkest moments, Cassandra.” Cass fell silent beside him, and he would have feared she’d passed out again if she wasn’t hobbling along with him. Her misty eyes were glued to the stone floors, refusing to look at either him or the approaching exit. He took a deep, steadying breath. 

_Rapunzel was always better with this sort of thing._

“When Rapunzel first came to the castle, after the tower,” he began, voice wavering as he recalled those moments with his beloved. “She had a lot of doubts. Everything she’d ever known was a lie, and she didn’t think she was up to the challenges ahead. She thought she’d never get past being that girl in the tower, that it would always block her and keep her from growing and moving forward. Her mom gave her this book- her sketchbook- and it had an inscription in it. It said _‘Plus est en vous.’_ It’s french. It means ‘there is more in you.’” He glanced at the girl pressed into his side, one arm on his, with the other clutched over her heart. “There’s more in you, Cass. More than just your mistakes.” He pushed the doors open, revealing the extravagant halls of the castle and the bright, warm sun bleeding through the windows. 

Cass’s hand left the hole in her chest, wobbling over her mouth, and her eyes squeezed shut. Another sob wracked her body, and he guided her over to the wall, sliding down beside her as she broke down. She wailed, fingers digging into the material of his shirt for comfort, and he held onto her, trying as hard as he could to be the replacement for the one his friend was longing for. Rapunzel used to be the shoulder both of them cried on, but now…

Now they’d have to be there for each other.   
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything gets a little more real when the funeral rolls around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obligatory apology of the chapter:  
> I’m sorry. I love these characters too, I swear. This angst... it just writes itself. IT’S NOT MY FAULT.
> 
> Also just a quick disclaimer and trigger warning: there’s a panic attack in this chapter. I’m not sure if it’s super in detail- I actually based it on my own experiences with them, which are usually more confusing and disorienting.

* * *

Cass woke to darkness. 

That seemed to be all she ever felt these days. 

She pulled the blanket tighter around herself, staring at the far wall. The bed she’d occupied for so many years, so much of her life, now felt cold and foreign. Her room was untouched, just the same as it was before they left, but it felt like it belonged to somebody else. The room she was in should have been occupied by a girl who had dreams, who had her whole life ahead of her. 

Who had a best friend.

From her position on the bed, she could see the spot where Rapunzel had set up that blanket and pillow fort. They’d had sleepovers there, like little girls, instead of the young adults they were. So many memories, _good memories,_ now tainted by her own selfishness. 

The window to the outside was now barred, preventing any escape attempt that might occur. Her door was locked at night, opened every morning by a guard outside. Usually it was Eugene, or Lance, so they could try and make it feel more like keeping her company, but she knew better. Even though she wasn’t in the dungeons any longer, she was a prisoner. 

Right on cue, the rattling of keys sounded from the other side of the door. She tucked herself further into the covers, hoping to appear asleep, but it was pointless. Both men knew she hardly ever slept anymore. 

“Morning, sleepyhead!” Lance cheerfully made his way into the room, keys tucked into his belt like they weren’t even there to begin with. He ducked into her line of sight, shooting her his million dollar grin. 

At least Eugene wasn’t this _fake_ with her. 

She grunted, turning so her face was smothered in the pillow. But Lance was undeterred, crouching down and snatching the edge of the blanket carefully, before yanking it back and leaping out of harm’s way. A year ago, Cass would have had a dagger to his throat in seconds. Now she just laid there, turning her face back to frown at him. 

“What?” She asked tiredly, not bothering to move from where her cheek was squished into the pillow. The burly man was dressed in full guard regalia, with something in his arms. 

“Eugene wanted me to come get you personally,” he announced, dipping his head and holding whatever it was out to her. “This is the dress code for today.” She sighed, peeling herself off the bed and sitting up, arms outstretched. He passed it over and she peered down at it, trying to see in the dim light of her room. 

“This is a guard’s uniform,” she observed quietly, one hand trailing over the insignia on the helmet. Her gaze snapped up to his, something lodging painfully in her throat. “What kind of joke is this?”

“It’s no joke!” He said quickly, cheerful demeanor dropping. “It’s- well, Eugene thought it was the best way.”

“Best way to _what?”_

“Don’t you remember what today is?” At her blank expression, his shoulders drooped a little. “It’s the funeral. Eugene decided the best way for you to fly under the radar was if you were dressed like everybody else, and kind of in the background as a security detail.” He fiddled with his fingers, looking anywhere but her. “While he’s cool with you, and I’m cool with you, and you’ve mostly been forgiven for the whole Moonstone thing, the _people_ aren’t as cool with you. Coronans… aren’t the best with forgiving and forgetting.” Something crossed the man’s features, something mournful and sad, and then he was springing back again. “So hurry up and get dressed! I’ll be right back to fetch you.”

“Wait-“ He exited the room before she could argue, but he left the door open a crack. A sign of trust. She bit her lip, eyes trailing over the uniform in her lap. She’d only ever worn one a few times before. _So many hours_ she’d spent fighting for the right to wear it, proving herself to her dad and the king. Now it was just being handed to her, and for what, a disguise? She wasn’t even wearing it as a guard. She was wearing it for protection. The helmet was a size too big, so it would cover her face. 

She was expected to go to the funeral for the two people that _she killed_ wearing a disguise. 

Minutes later, she hovered in her doorway, heart pounding in her ears. The uniform felt right and wrong all at the same time, and she felt almost sick. Lance stood a few feet away, waiting for her by the corner of the hallway, whistling to himself. He brightened at the sight of her, but she could see the sadness in his eyes. The uniform seemed to be bringing back all the wrong memories for everybody. 

“Well, come on then,” he said lightly, waving a hand over his shoulder and starting on his way. She had no choice but to follow, helmet dipping over her face. Her eyes trained on Lance’s heels, avoiding looking at anyone else as they entered the more populated area. Everywhere around her, there were the people she’d grown up around. The people who she’d trusted, who’d trusted _her._ She could feel eyes on her, and she couldn’t help the immediate guilt that plagued her. 

_This was wrong._

“Hey, you two!” She finally looked up when she caught sight of those heeled brown boots, finding the strained smile of the Captain himself. There were guards standing in rows a few feet away, silent but giving each other looks. Sitting on the floor together were two young girls, whom she vaguely recognized from that day at the tower. 

“Sorry we’re late!” Lance sang, leaning over and hoisting both girls into his arms, earning a squawk from the darker haired one. Eugene watched her face, noting the confusion, and he coughed, interrupting the moment. 

“These are the girls: Keira and Catalina,” he introduced, waving to each in order. The ginger cowered under her gaze, clinging to Lance, but the shorter girl just glared at her. 

“That’s Angry to you,” she snapped, one foot out in front of her, stance low. This kid was ready to fight at a moment’s notice. 

“Keira,” Lance hissed, giving her a look. 

“No, it’s fine,” Cass dismissed, holding a hand up. “They don’t need to treat me with any respect.”

“But-“

“If they’re scared of me, it’s because I did something to deserve it,” she explained, voice tired and sad. Catalina buried herself further into Lance’s hold, eyes squeezing shut. Angry just looked even more upset. 

“Scared of you?!” She scoffed, stomping her foot and holding out an accusing finger. “ _No,_ I’m not scared of you. _You_ should be scared of _me!_ After what you did to V-!”

“Keira, that’s _enough,”_ Catalina interrupted, glaring weakly at her sister. “ _Please._ ” Angry faltered, eyes darting between the girl and the object of her aggression. She retreated with a scowl, hugging onto Lance’s leg and hiding her face. 

“We should head out,” Eugene said softly, breaking her away from the girls with a gentle hand around her wrist. She flinched, pulling her hand away on instinct, but deflated when she realized what she was doing. She ducked her head, arms wrapped around herself. 

“Yeah,” was all she said, before falling silent. Eugene and Lance exchanged a look, a mute conversation occurring as though she wasn’t even there. Eugene didn’t reach for her arm again, but he fell in line beside her, striding toward the doors to the outside. 

* * *

The venue wasn’t just crowded, it was _packed._ Citizens and nobles as far as the eye could see. Cass felt claustrophobic, even with Eugene and Lance blocking anyone’s view of her with their bodies. The guard’s uniform was too tight, constricting her ribs, and her lungs ached, and _this was probably what Eugene and Varian felt when she used those rocks-_

“Cassandra, dear!” She nearly jumped out of her skin, heart rate skyrocketing, and her gaze darted about, anticipating a full on riot, but found that no one was even looking in their direction. They’d made their way toward the front, and were now parallel to the Queen _,_ who was _smiling_ at her. She took the girl’s hands in her own when they came to a stop, looking unbelievably happy to see her. “Oh, it’s so good to see you up and about again.”

“Y-your Highness,” she started, wide eyes giving away her surprise at the greeting. 

“None of that, now,” Arianna hushed, squeezing her hands. “I’m so glad you’re alright. We were all so worried.” Cass tripped over her words, looking to Eugene for help, but he just had this soft look on his face. 

“No, Your Majesty,” she whispered, heart clenching painfully. “Please, don’t worry about me. I’m not worthy-“

“Hush,” Rapunzel’s mother dismissed, brushing a hand against her cheek. “I may have only just gotten my memory back, but I remember how much you meant to my daughter. You were like a sister to her.” That hopeless feeling built up again in her chest, and Cass turned away, closing her eyes. She couldn’t cry, not before it even started. 

“But I-“

“Your safety was all that ever mattered to her,” Arianna continued, cupping her face with her hand. “And I must admit, I certainly have missed the little girl that used to run around the halls of the castle and invite me for tea.” Cass choked out a laugh, only to cut it off with a hand over her mouth. She could feel the buildup of moisture in her eyes already. 

“Where’s Frederic?” Eugene queried, still right by her side. Arianna’s face fell at the question, but that amazing strength remained, eyes set with determination to get through it. 

“He wasn’t feeling well this morning,” she said carefully. “We agreed it was best that he not make a public appearance.” 

“Your Highness, if I may,” interrupted a stranger, dressed in regal black. “We really should begin.”

“Of course,” she agreed, shoulders drawn back and head held high. “Is Quirin here?”

“Yes, my Queen.”

“Very well.” She followed after the man, and Eugene trailed behind, giving Cass a look that said _c’mon._ She ducked her head again, feet shuffling under her almost subconsciously. They were getting closer to the front of the crowd, closer to the center of attention. She felt it again, hands catching her ribs in a vice grip, but there was no relief. The only thing keeping her afloat was the presence of the last two people she had. 

“We’ll be right back.”

“What?!”

“I promise, we’ll be right back,” Eugene repeated, giving her a watery smile. “We just gotta… we just have to do something first. Just stay with the Queen.”

“Please, don’t-“ Lance hooked his arm in Eugene’s and they were off, leaving her and the girls with the Queen like she was babysitting. They disappeared into the crowd and she felt her pulse skyrocket, blood rushing in her ears. Queen Arianna was making conversation with the girls, seeming delighted with the company, but Cass couldn’t even hear what they were saying. She was here, people were watching, she was wearing the uniform, and it was all _wrong wrong wrong-_

A slow dirge started up, and everyone fell silent. The sea of people parted down the middle, leaving an open pathway, and Cass found herself looking along with everybody else. Eugene and Lance. They were walking, side by side, with a casket in between them. Four guards trailed behind, helping to hold it up. Between the figures, she could see the emblem of Corona etched onto the lid, painted in gold and purple. 

_Oh._

Behind them, there was another group. Adira and Hector, side by side, with Quirin bringing up the rear. This casket was a bit smaller, and not as decorated, but it bore the symbols of both the Dark Kingdom and Corona. The two warriors she was familiar with were stone faced, unblinking, but Quirin was none the same. His dark eyes were brimming with tears, a horribly pained look on his face. 

_Oh no._

She was drowning, air eluding her lungs, the whole world spinning on an axis. Someone called her name, softly, gently, but all she could hear was screaming growing softer as it fell farther away, and gurgled cries of shock and agony. She stepped backward and her ankle twisted, sending her flailing back, landing hard on her back. A hand reached into her vision, but it was _Rapunzel’s, reaching out to take her hand, to plead with her to come back, reaching for Varian who was already gone, already too late, a distraction, why wasn’t she PAYING ATTENTION_ -

_“We’ll fix it together, me and you!”_

_“You have so much to hold onto!”_

“We can’t, I don’t,” she mumbled, gripping at the sides of her head. “I- I can’t! I CAN’T!” She stumbled onto her feet, forcing her way back through the crowd and _away._ There was a shrill buzzing in her ears, overwhelming her senses and sending her stomach rolling. She pushed and shoved, each touch sending a shock through her nervous system, but she had to get _out._ She couldn’t be here. She shouldn’t be here. 

She ran until her knees collided with stone, eyes blurred with tears and the static between her ears. She couldn’t breathe _,_ she didn’t even remember how. She didn’t know where she was, but she knew that she was alone. She was alone, forever alone, because everyone who really cared about her was gone. She’d driven them away. 

The two people who never gave up on her, even when she gave them so many reasons to turn their backs on her, were gone. And it was all her fault. _All her fault. Their blood was on her hands. Blood, glistening against black stone, staining purple fabric a dark brown, framing raven hair in a morbid halo._

“-ss! Cass!” She felt pressure against her shoulders, something throwing her forward and back. “Cass, breathe! Breathe with me!” _No. She didn’t want to breathe. She didn’t DESERVE to breathe._ “C’mon, please. In and out. Follow my lead. Just in, then out.” Something squeezed her hand and she sucked in a breath, before exhaling shakily. Somewhere, someone laughed with relief. “That’s it. Try it again, now.” 

Her body betrayed her mind, following their example and gulping in oxygen. With each shuddering breath, tears were released from her eyes, trailing down her cheeks and freeing her sight. The loud buzzing calmed to a low hum, vibrating in the back of her skull, but it allowed her mind to clear. She blinked, heaving in another breath, and found green eyes staring at her. Bright green, with freckles smattered across their cheeks, and strands of golden hair falling into their flushed face. They flashed her a relieved smile, soft red lips curving upward in a familiar frame around perfect white teeth. 

“Cassandra!” Her head snapped up, and she realized she was on her knees, wobbling forward dangerously. Eugene leapt to her aid, sliding the last foot on his own knees, and caught her before she could hit the surface of the cobblestone road. “Cass, are you okay? I saw you leave- I should have never tried to convince you to come, you weren’t ready.” Fitzherbert rambled on, guilt evident in his sad eyes, but Cass didn’t focus on that. She looked back to where whoever had helped her had been, a desperate hope tugging at her heart. 

But there was no one there.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I was writing this, the headcanon that Cass, a young girl without a mother growing up in the castle, and Arianna, a mother without a daughter living in said castle, probably had a closer relationship before the events of the show, struck me. 
> 
> I am now a slave to this headcanon. Let Arianna adopt all of the motherless feral children. LET ARIANNA BE A MOM.
> 
> “But... but you killed her actual kid off.”
> 
> SHHHH
> 
> Arianna is mother to ALL
> 
> —
> 
> In regards to Rapunzel’s *ehem* other parent, I am not bashing him in this fic. As shocking as that is, yes. He’s not present at the funeral because I see him as being slightly less level-headed than Arianna, allowing his emotions to control his decisions, and he physically could not bear to bury his baby after only just getting her back a few years ago. (No, I didn’t omit him from this because I’m no good at writing him in a positive light. That’s preposterous.)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start to boil over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not quite as satisfied with this chapter, but it gets the job done and moves the story along. I hope it doesn’t come off as too repetitive or rushed!

* * *

  
  
Cass cast a look over her shoulder, hood drawn over her face. By all regards, she wasn’t really supposed to be doing this. 

But by all regards, she didn’t really care. 

She kept her head low, fingers curled around the fabric obscuring her face. She knew if she asked Lance and Eugene, they’d say yes. Of _course_ they’d say yes. But this wasn’t something she really wanted company for. She’d given the guards the slip. She would go back later, she swore, but she didn’t want to be tailed for this. 

Pushing the gate open gently, she stepped into the threshold, immediately sensing the shift in the air. It was nicer than most places, reserved for nobility, but it still held that solemn resignation that shrouded every final resting place. She took a deep breath, steeling herself against any emotion for the time being, and pushed forward, past extravagant headstones and memorial statues. She found them easily, the two headstones with fresh dirt, and gifts and flowers laid delicately across. The larger headstone had more of these decorations, with sunflowers and drawings strewn across the disturbed earth, but the other wasn’t barren. Varian was seen as a hero, finally, after his saving the day from the red rocks, and his involvement in the neutralization of the Moonstone threat. He was seen as a martyr. 

He’d been included in the royal plot by request of both Eugene and the Queen, claiming that between his status as the son of a village leader and knight, and his many sacrifices for the kingdom, he more than deserved to be remembered amongst the nobility. Those closer to them knew it was more a symbolic thing- they’d died together, fighting together, for each other’s safety. It would be cruel to separate them after all they went through at each other’s side. 

It was here that Cass stopped, hesitating. She’d waited for this moment. Planned the exact time, once less people were visiting and everything had calmed enough for her to slip in unnoticed. But now that she was here, staring at those names engraved into stone, the matching dates underneath, she felt that same despair washing over her. _Get it together._ She needed to be strong enough to at least pay her respects. 

So she kneeled down, her gloved hand raising and pulling the hood back, letting the faint sunlight shine against her black curls. Careful not to disturb any of the painted stones or flowers strewn across the two mounds, she settled down in the middle, waiting for genius to strike. Her free hand clenched around the bouquet she’d brought, built from different flowers she’d collected from vases around the castle over the past couple days. It was humiliating that she couldn’t go out and buy them on her own, but she hadn’t wanted anyone to meddle. Even if it was for only a few minutes, she wanted to do this on her own. 

She set the bouquet between the two headstones, avoiding covering any of the other offerings, then leaned back again. Her eyes were drawn to the framed pictures set in front of the stones. The one in front of Varian’s was easily recognizable as Rapunzel’s work: a vibrant painting of the boy smiling, far happier than Cass had ever gotten to see him. But the other didn’t look like the princess’s. It was a pencil sketch of Rapunzel, seemingly done without her knowledge. The girl was pictured gazing somewhere beyond the artist, face calm and serene, sitting cross legged with her arms folded in her lap. Where the other was colorful and whimsical, this one was detailed and precise, almost looking like a moment captured in time. 

She sighed, closing her eyes. She felt like she was trespassing. She wasn’t welcome here, not anymore. She shouldn’t be allowed so close to where they lay resting. It was like a criminal revisiting the place of a crime. These were people, _good people,_ the _best_ people, and they were her victims. Victims of her own self-serving foolishness, forced out of the world because she had thought she was important. Because she’d… she’d been so _obsessed_ with her _destiny._

If this was her destiny, she _didn’t want it anymore._

So many things wanted to come tumbling from her lips, apologies and pleads and desperate admissions of how much she _missed_ them, how much she missed _her,_ but they were pointless. Nothing she said would ever matter. Words were useless. Words couldn’t take her back to before she kidnapped Varian. Words couldn’t stop her from taking that blasted Moonstone in the first place. Words couldn’t _bring them back._

There was nothing she could do to fix any of this. She was helpless, trapped existing in an endless loop of _what-ifs_ and grief. Of every darn memory, everything she’d once held dear, now tainted and painful and _sad._ She did this. _She deserved this suffering._

With her eyes closed, figure bent over the graves, she didn’t notice movement behind her. She didn’t have those preservation instincts anymore, keeping her on her toes and ready to jump into action. Her mental resignation to her deserving punishment cancelled out years of training and skills. So it was with great shock that she pried her eyes open, whipping around, only to be met with an arrow held inches from her nose. The archer was mere feet away, point blank, bow still out in front of him. He reacted with fury, nocking another arrow. 

“Witch!” He spat, aiming again between her eyes. She drew back, face pale, but didn’t move. Her gaze trailed to the arrow still right in front of her, clutched in a gloved hand. The hand was attached to an arm, leading back to a whole person. A person with painfully familiar blue eyes. The figure wasn’t looking at her, instead glaring at her attacker. 

The archer didn’t get the chance to shoot again, as he was tackled to the ground by a guard. Several more swarmed forward from the gates, yelling and shouting, and from within the fray Eugene pushed his way forward. The arrow in front of her fell to the dirt with a soft _thwack,_ whoever had been holding it now vanished. Eugene didn’t even notice, face drawn and clammy with panic. 

“What were you thinking??” He demanded, waving his arms frantically. “Cass, you’re not supposed to go anywhere outside the castle without a chaperone!”

“Sorry if I didn’t want someone breathing down my neck for five seconds,” she snapped, climbing to her feet. 

“It’s for your _protection,”_ he insisted, pointing a harsh finger back at where the would-be assassin was being detained. “Because there are people like _that._ And here?! Cass, you _know better.”_

“I’m not a child!” She growled, poking him in the chest with a single finger. “I can handle myself just fine.” She scowled. “I came because I had to! I couldn’t just- just _not!_ ”

“Then you bring a guard or two!” He cried, running his hands back through his hair. “It’s not that hard! You’re free to roam the town, with _supervision._ I thought you’d follow those restrictions!”

“I didn’t need guards watching over my shoulder for this!” She exclaimed, gesturing behind her at the headstones. “For just once, just let me have a little control! I _know_ you don’t trust me!”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you!”

“Liar!” She got up in his face, anger burning against the walls of her heart. “You have _no reason_ to trust me! You have guards tailing me because you think I’m up to no good! You figure, the moment your back’s turned, I’ll go and do something worse!”

“I can’t lose you too!” He practically screamed, stomping his foot. “Sometimes, you make it _so hard_ to care about you, but I do! And there are days that I hate it! I hate that some part of me still wants you safe, still wants you around, after what you did! ALL she ever wanted to do was help you, and get through to you, but even now that she’s DEAD you _still_ won’t listen!” His body heaved with exertion, furious eyes glaring down at her, and she felt herself recoil.

“Eugene-“

“You always have to be the one calling the shots,” he continued, words tumbling from his mouth with no control. “You hated Adira because it meant there was somebody else making decisions. You distanced yourself from the group because you thought it was _unfair,_ that your voice wasn’t being heard. You took the Moonstone, one of the most _powerful things in existence,_ because you wanted to be the person with the authority. You wanted that _importance,_ that _influence._ Even now, after everything that’s happened, you’re still so caught up in your own feelings that you ignore everyone else’s!” He drew in a sharp breath, seeming to come into himself, and it left him with a full body shudder. Looking her over once more, searching for any sign of injury and finding none, he turned, stalking off in the opposite direction. 

* * *

Cass was left reeling. She _knew_ she was the bad guy here. She hated it, hated everything she’d done. She still couldn’t figure out for the life of her why anyone kept her around. But there was still a part of her that wanted to take offense at Eugene’s words. _Selfish? After everything I sacrificed for this kingdom, for the princess?_

She shivered, pressing her palms into her eyes. She couldn’t entertain those sorts of thoughts anymore. They were wrong. _She was wrong._

Perhaps now that he’d finally snapped at her, he’d let them do away with her. 

Growling, she chucked the book on her nightstand across the room, letting it hit the wall and fall to the floor with a _thud._ She’d gone to those graves for… she didn’t even know. Clarity? Paying her respects? To make up for literally running out of the funeral?

Perhaps it _was_ a mistake. Maybe she should have just stayed away, taken the out. But she couldn’t. Her heart still longed for those moments she could never have back, to get up in the morning and be greeted by a bright eyed ray of sunshine. She would take it all back if she could, but she _couldn’t,_ and there was nothing she could do. 

She moaned, sitting back on her bed and resting her skull against the headboard, pulling at the soft skin under her eyes. 

She really didn’t understand why Eugene was so upset, anyways. If she really had been killed, everyone would have been far better off. He wouldn’t have to keep acting like he cared, and she would finally be free of this terrible burden. She kind of wished the stranger hadn’t missed. 

“You really ought to apologize to him.”

Weird, her conscience didn’t usually sound like that. 

“He’s worried about you, Cass. You’re shutting yourself off, and taking risks. It’s like you don’t even care if you live or die, and it’s scaring him.”

“I don’t,” she huffed, too worked up to really care that she was talking to herself. 

“Then you need to be honest with the people you care about. You need to let them help you.”

“I don’t deserve help,” she growled, prying her eyes open to glare at the ceiling. “Not after what I did.”

“...it was an accident.” Cass frowned. That _definitely_ wasn’t something her subconscious would say. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and turned, only to freeze. There was someone standing in the corner of her room. They stepped into the light slowly, a bare foot revealing itself first. Then the rest of the person was visible, standing there with only a slight hesitance, and meeting her eyes. Blonde hair, green eyes, freckles, that purple dress…  
  


Cassandra screamed, scrambling backward on her bed, but her hand caught in the blanket and she tumbled off, hands flailing out to catch her. In doing so she only brought a shelf down over her head, knocking her out cold. 

A second figure appeared beside the first, surveying the scene with a _tsk_. 

“Told you she wouldn’t take it well.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, the drawing of Rapunzel is Varian’s. I’m a sap and I wanted the artsy kids to have their drawings of each other as part of their memorials. Sue me. 
> 
> I hope this wasn’t too OOC for anybody.

**Author's Note:**

> “You’re more than you darkest moments, Cassandra.”
> 
> Is it normal to make yourself cry with your own fic?
> 
> I do have more planned for this, don’t worry. Not sure when it’ll be up, but it shall eventually. 
> 
> Always remember, plus est en vous. There is more in you, more than your mistakes<3


End file.
